Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner has accused Rishi Sunak of displaying a 'lack of judgement' after he received a fixed penalty notice for not wearing a seatbelt.
The Prime Minister has accepted a fine from Lancashire Police for failing to wear a seatbelt while filming a social media clip in the back of a moving car. Downing Street said Mr Sunak 'fully accepts this was a mistake and has apologised'.
"He will of course comply with the fixed penalty," a No 10 spokesperson added. Fixed penalty notices for seatbelt offences are usually £100, but they can rise to £500 if taken to court.
This morning (Saturday), Ms Rayner told BBC Breakfast that she believed the Prime Minister had shown a lack of judgement having been handed two fixed penalty notices in nine months. Asked if she had ever got in a taxi and not put a seatbelt on, the Ashton-under-Lyne MP said: "I can’t say categorically I haven’t.
"But one thing I will say – let me be positive on this and then serious – positively, this has shone a light on why those seatbelts are necessary, and the safety of people in the back of taxis, in the back of cars and the importance of that. The fact that he’s had two fixed penalty notices in nine months, I think, shows a lack of judgment on his behalf, especially as Chancellor and then as the Prime Minister.
"And I think he should use this opportunity to highlight that safety does matter in vehicles."
Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab defended Mr Sunak this morning, describing him as a 'human being' who 'made a mistake'. The Justice Secretary told Times Radio: "He’s made clear that this was a mistake.
"He’s apologised for it. And he’s paying the fine. He’s a human being… like many people doing busy jobs, he’s made a mistake.
"I think, actually, people understand that people do make mistakes inadvertently, not deliberately, and he’s very honest about it when he does. And actually, that’s part of the integrity, the transparency, the accountability, and just saying, ‘look, you know, if I make a mistake, put my hands up, but we crack on with the process of delivering for the country’."
Asked whether he, as Justice Secretary, is concerned that Rishi Sunak has been handed a fixed penalty for the second time, Mr Raab told Sky News: "Of course it shouldn’t have happened.
"But I think, with these things, what people expect most of all is, you know, the individual concerned, whoever it may be, put their hand up, be honest about it, accept the mistake, pay the fine.
"And I think, look, given the circumstances, I don’t think it’s something which would result in his resignation."
Asked about Labour’s claim that the episode made the Prime Minister a 'laughing stock', Mr Raab said: "I think you’ve got someone doing a very busy job – as many people do, so it’s no excuse – who’s made an inadvertent mistake. He’s put his hand up, he’s apologised for it."
The Deputy Prime Minister said it was 'perfectly proper' for police to have investigated, adding: "We wouldn’t second-guess the role of the police in this."
Last night, Lancashire Police said: "You will be aware that a video has been circulating on social media showing an individual failing to wear a seatbelt while a passenger in a moving car in Lancashire.
"After looking into this matter, we have today issued a 42-year-old man from London with a conditional offer of fixed penalty."
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